1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a computerized voice authentication system, and more particularly, to using biometrics in a system that both identifies and verifies a speaker.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, biometrics refer to a person's unique physical attributes such as voice, eyes, and fingerprints. Thus, biometric verification provides a powerful new paradigm for user-friendly, albeit reliable, security. In fact, biometric verification can be more reliable than PIN (Personal Identification Number)-based systems, which can verify who a person claims to be, but not whether the person actually is the claimed person. By way of an example, an alphanumeric PIN presented to an ATM machine can verify that the person claims to be the account holder having the PIN. But without biometric verification (or human intervention), the ATM machine cannot verify that the person actually is the account holder. This limitation poses problems in the case of identity thefts and other breaches and in the case where it is inconvenient to enter a PIN.
Humans perform biometric analysis using inherent senses such as sight and sound to discriminate between people based on physical attributes. Computers use biometric verification uses voice print matching, iris and retina scans, facial scans, and the like to verify a person's identity. However, implementing biometric analysis within computerized systems has been limited by expense, processing power, and amount data needed to represent physical attributes.
One problem with computer-implemented biometric verifications is identifying who is to be verified. In other words, a computer can compare two voices, such as a test voice against a training voice, in order to verify a match, but cannot effectively select the training voice from a large database of stored training voices. Thus, current techniques require a two-step process in which a person must first identify who they claim to be before being verified.
Accordingly, there is a need for a robust biometric authentication system and method for identifying and verifying a person with biometric analysis. Moreover, the solution should present a one-step process to a user by using a common voice sample for both identification and verification.